Thrice is the Charm
by Child of a Pineapple
Summary: FINISHED Companion to 'Musings of a Child', but can stand alone. A look at each of the three Rove children.
1. Little Liz

Hey, I'm back already!  Great surprise, don't you think?  People have asked me to post the other parts of 'Musings of a Child.'  Well…I'm not going to.  However, I did take what I had for the rest of it, and have created an entirely new, three part story.  Thus the title, 'Thrice is the Charm."  It's not really a sequel for 'Musings of a Child', it's more like a companion story.  You may notice a slight lack of Joan in this story, seeing as I refuse to forgiven her for how she acted towards Adam in 'Recreation.'  Not ready, my eye.  *Rants, raves, and grumbles.*  And for those of you who liked Liz in "Musings', she's not in this chapter much, either.  I'll try to get her in the next two some more.  She's a rare occurrence, since usually I kill off my original characters, especially when they're little kids.  Never fear, though, since I won't be killing anyone in a 'Joan of Arcadia' fanfiction, unless I write one about Rocky or the show's Elizabeth.__

Oh, my mom bought the 'Pleasantville' soundtrack yesterday.  It has 'Across the Universe' (Fiona Apple's cover, not the Beatle's version) on it, and I listened to it while I wrote this chapter.  Tis now my favorite song.  It's funny though.  My favorite song makes me think of funerals and suicide notes…hmm….

I don't own 'Joan of Arcadia', though twould be nice to own Adam, since he's cool and all, and rather good-looking.  You know, I'm running out of room in my closet to stuff guys in.  He might have to go under the bed…

Anyway, I hope you like this, and please review.  I'll get the rest up ASAP.

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**Thrice is the Charm**

_Chapter One:  Little Liz_

Adam Rove could think of plenty of times when he had been nervous.  In fact, most of them involved a girl.  One girl, who was very important to his life.  But this time, it was someone entirely new, and the levels of nervousness had reached an all-time high.

He peered down into the face of his newborn daughter, studying her closely.  The visitors had all left, and Joan had fallen asleep, leaving Adam alone with their daughter.  One tiny hand was curled around his thumb, and her eyes were closed, showing that she slept as soundly as her mother.  She had hair as dark as his was, and Joan's nose.

The pair had decided upon names early, since both of them had someone that was gone from their life, who they missed terribly, and wished to honor.  And, since the little girl didn't look much like a Rocky, she had been given the name Elizabeth instead.

Elizabeth Helen Rove.  A name for each grandmother, one living, one long since passed.  Of course, Elizabeth was much too long a name for such a small girl.  His mother had gone by Eliza, so he couldn't call her that, either.  No, she would have to go by Liz, or Lizzie, or something of that sort.

His little Liz.  Yes, that was perfect.

Adam had been shocked when Joan had given him the news, two weeks after graduation.  It had definitely come as a surprise, but they dealt with it, and things worked out.  Adam got a job, they got married, and even moved into a cozy little apartment not too far away from where either of them had lived.  They had bought all of the baby essentials, and the apartment was already prepared for their return home.

The doorknob slowly turned, and Adam glanced at the clock.  It was exactly four in the morning.  Joan's mother had left to get something form her car not too long ago, so she couldn't be back yet.  Expecting it to be yet another nurse coming to check in, Adam was surprised to see Grace Polk standing in the doorway.

"Uhm…Grace," he said, shifting Liz slightly.  "Hi."

"Hey," she responded, glancing around the room.  "Luke called me earlier, and we talked for about two hours.  Then, right before he hung up, he said, 'Oh, Grace, I almost forgot to tell you, Joan had the baby today.  It's a girl.  Why don't you stop by the hospital?'"

Adam laughed quietly, and Grace took a step closer, peering down at the bundle of blankets in Adam's arms.

"She's so…tiny,' she said, after a moment of silence.

"She's a baby," Adam pointed out, glancing up at his friend.

"I know that," Grace said, "It's just strange.  My best friend's daughter.  What'd you name her?"

"Elizabeth," Adam said softly.  Grace nodded her approval.

"She would have liked that," Grace told him, still watching Liz.

"Yeah, I think she would have, too," he replied.

*        *        *

^One Year Later^

Liz's first year went by in a flash.  Before Adam knew it, he was standing in the kitchen, watching his wife *attempting* to make a cake.  It went without saying that she wasn't doing too well.

"Uhm…Jane?" Adam asked suddenly as she filled a measuring cup and prepared to pour it in.

"Yes, Adam?" she asked impatiently, not turning around.  She picked up a recipe card from the flour-covered counter and reread it.

"That's salt," he told her, gesturing towards the cup in her hand.  "I thought you needed sugar."

Joan looked at the box where the salt had come from.  "Oh, yeah."  She paused.  "But if that's salt, then what did I use for flour?"

They both glanced at the box of baking soda on the counter.

Twenty minutes later, Adam was standing in front of the bakery at Target, looking for a cake that Liz might like.  The one that caught his eye immediately had green-blue icing, meant to look like a pond, and in the top corner there was a toy boat, painted yellow.  He bought it, and had the woman behind the counter write "Happy 1st Birthday Liz" on it in dark blue icing.

When he got home the party guests had already started to arrive.  Grace was sitting in the living room floor with Liz, and Luke was in the kitchen with Joan, spreading out a table cloth.  Adam set the cake on the counter, and started digging around in an over-filled drawer, looking for a candle.  He abandoned his search when Joan came over with a whole box of them in her hand.

She glanced at the cake, then caught Adam's gaze.  Neither one spoke, but she gave him a small, encouraging smile, which he returned.

Before long the small apartment was filling up.  Kevin and Rebecca showed up, the Joan's parents, and finally Adam's father.  Everyone helped to finish decorating, and admired their handiwork.  Everything was going pretty well, until Joan brought out the party hats.

"But Liz picked them out!" Joan insisted, in response to the protests and groans.

"There is *no* way I'm going to wear one of those," Grace stated, shaking her head violently.

"Oh, come on Grace," Luke said, grinning wickedly.  "It's for Liz."

"Let's see you wear one then, Mr. 'Man of Science'," Grace retorted, glaring daggers at him.

"Oh…but…" Luke stammered, looking very much like he wanted to disappear.  Adam coughed, disguising a laugh.  Grace saw past it, however, and turned to glare at him instead.

"Alright Rove, you asked for it," she said, advancing towards him with a flowered hat. "She's your daughter, after all."

In the end, everyone was forced into a hat, including Grace, who glanced around at everyone with a murderous glare.  Liz seemed to be the only one truly enjoying herself, in her high chair repeating "Hat!  Hat!", and banging her spoon against the tray.  But they ate vanilla ice cream, and the cake with the yellow boat, and for a while, everything was right in the world.

*TBC*


	2. Delaini Jane

Uhm…hey there.  Here's the second chapter of 'Thrice is the Charm', for your enjoyment.  Just to let you know, the third and final chapter won't be up this weekend.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  I've just been way too busy to write it, let alone type it.  I have started it, though.  I plan on posting it some time over this next week.

My mom downloaded the song 'Time', by Chantal Kreviazuk for me, so I've listened to that for the past two days almost nonstop.  I also re-watched 'Jump' last night.  And I cried.  Again.  *sniffs* Usually I only get sad when little hobbit people are sad, but it turns out that Adam does that to me, too.

*Composes herself* Before I go on, I have to thank my reviewers for the first chapter, and those who reviewed 'Musings of a Child'.  You guys rock.  Oh, and to **the prodigal chicken, I realized that what I said was kind of misleading.  What I *meant* to say was that this chapter wasn't going to be all in Liz's point of view.  Also, in the second part, even though it's Liz's birthday, she's only specifically mentioned as being there right after Adam gets back, and when she's in her highchair.  But, yeah, I should have been clearer about what I said.  Sorry about that.**

Alright, now to this chapter.  It deals with Delainia, the next Rove child that I have devised.  The first part doesn't have a specific time setting, but it's sometime during the school year, around spring, and is in Liz's POV.  The second part is set in June, after school lets out, and is in Delainia's POV.  Lastly, if you haven't read 'Musings of Child', then never fear, because I made it obvious who Will and Sora are.  If you have read it, then that's cool. So, without further ado, here's 'Delaini Jane'. 

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**Thrice is the Charm**

_Chapter Two:  Delaini Jane_

-Liz's POV-

Liz had always liked her little sister's name.  Delainia Jane.  It sounded so pretty and grown-up.  But Liz liked to call her Delaini Jane, since it almost rhymed.  To Liz they sounded like the words to a song.

Delainia had just turned four, and Liz was nine.  It was almost dinnertime, and Liz could hear the sound of her mom's knife against the cutting board.  Dad was in the garage, working on one of his sculptures.  Liz was working on her math homework, and Delainia was watching TV in the living room floor.

They had lived in the apartment until a few weeks before Liz had finished first grade.  She was in third grade now, and she really liked her school.  She had been sad to move away from her old friends, but she had made lots of new friends, like Mia.  Besides, they hadn't moved too far away, and were still in Arcadia, so she still got to visit people from her old school, and she saw her family every weekend.

Liz finished her math paper and listened for sounds from the kitchen.  Over her mother's soft humming she could the splashing of the sliced-up potatoes being dropped onto a pot of boiling water.  She set aside her homework for her dad to look over after dinner.

Liz sat down beside her sister in the floor.  People always told Liz that she looked the most like her dad, and that Delainia took after their mom.  But they also went on about how much the sisters looked alike.  Liz guessed that they were talking about their hair, and their noses.  They both had hair that was dark and wavy like their dad's, and a nose just like their mom's.

"What're you watching, Delaini Jane?" Liz asked her sister.  Delainia looked up at her.

"Shampoo," she told her, pointing at the television, which was broadcasting a commercial.  Liz smiled at her.

"Are you having fun?" Liz asked.

Delainia shook her head.  "It's boring."  She paused for a moment.  "I'm hungry.  Is dinner done?"

"Not yet," Liz told her, "Mom's cooking right now."

"Where's Daddy?"

"In the garage."

"Can I help Mommy cook?" Delainia asked, looking hopefully up at her sister.

"I bet she'll let you," Liz replied.  Delainia got up and headed into the kitchen, and Liz followed her.  Their mom was in front of the stove, stirring the pot she had dropped the potatoes into.  She smiled when she saw her daughters come in.

"Can we help you cook, Mommy?" Delainia asked, hands behind her back and bouncing on her toes.

Their mother nodded.  "You can help me mash the potatoes, and Liz can mix up the macaroni," she said, nodding towards a box of shells and cheese.  Liz stood at the counter, and Delainia climbed up on a barstool by the island.  Later their father came in, and the small family enjoyed dinner together.

*          *          *

-Delainia's POV-

It was a beautiful day in June, and four children were enjoying the weather at the playground.  Delainia, Will, and Sora were all playing in a sand box, and Liz was sitting on the ground beside it, leaning over a notebook.

Delainia climbed out of the sand and leaned over her sister's shoulder.  She could read yet, since she was only four, but she could tell that her older sister had written a lot.

"Whatca writing, Liz?" Delainia asked.  Liz quickly glanced up at her.

"A story," she replied simply.

Delainia could tell that her sister didn't want to tell her anymore, but her curiosity got the better of her.  "What's it about?"

Liz sighed before she answered.  "It's about a girl who has a secret."

"What kind of secret," Delainia asked, desperate to know more.  Liz shook her head impatiently.

"Delainia Jane, you know that it wouldn't be a secret anymore if I told you what it was," Liz explained.

Delainia frowned disappointedly.  But instead of pushing her sister for more information, she turned back to her cousins.  Will was scooping sand into a bucket, while Sora growled in frustration ad kicked a tower over.

"You're not going to get anywhere by knocking everything over," Delainia heard a voice behind her day.  She turned around to see Aunt Grace, Will and Sora's mom, standing there.

"But Mommy," Sora protested, "I was just doing what you always do."

"And what's that?" Aunt Grace asked her daughter suspiciously.

"Whenever something doesn't work, you kick it, and then make Daddy fix it," Sora explained.  "I hadn't told Will to fix it yet."

"Why do I have to fix it?" Will asked suddenly.  "I'm trying to make my own tower."

"Well, you're taking too long," Sora told him.

Delainia didn't pay attention to anything else that was said.  Instead she wandered over to where her daddy was standing, by the swings.  She climbed up on to the nearest one, and her daddy lightly pushed her.  They were both quiet for a little while, until her daddy spoke up.

"What're you thinking about, Delainia Jane?" he asked her.  Delainia smiled.  She liked the way her Daddy said her name.  It was different from the way he said Mommy's name, but she couldn't figure out how.  She just guessed it was a grown-up thing.

"Liz is writing a story," Delainia answered finally.

"Really?" her daddy asked.  "What's it about?"

"A girl who has a secret," Delainia told him, repeating her sister's words.

"Did she tell you what kind of secret?" he questioned.

"No," Delainia answered mournfully.  "She said it wouldn't be a secret anymore if she did."

Now it was Daddy's turn to be quiet again.

"Well, I guess that'll just make it even better when you do find out, won't it?" he asked Delainia gently.

She thought about that for a moment.  In a way it did make sense.

Delainia looked up and smiled at her father.  "Unchallenged."

*TBC*


	3. Rocky's Return

Well, here we are, at the last chapter of 'Thrice is the Charm'.  This is the first ever story that Cop has actually finished, not counting one-chapter fics, since they're obviously only one chapter long.  I _very proud of myself for that accomplishment.  Once again, in this chapter Liz makes a return, as far as the narrating goes, and Rocky Rove himself gets to finish things out._

I don't have any plans as of right now to continue this series, but things may change.  I am writing another JOA fanfiction, which goes into my darker, more depressing writing style.  It's set on a completely different timeline that this one, so there is no Liz, or Delaini Jane, or Rocky.  Hopefully you'll go read that one when it's posted (soon, I expect), unless you have a problem with blood.  Yeah, I'm not going into any more detail here, since I don't want to hitch the rating up just for an author's note. 

I don't have much more to say, except to thank *clears throat* Carrie, Avonne, Moonlit-Jeannie, M. Jade, May, Ranting Idiot, SassyAngel05, and tara for reviewing 'Musings of a Child, and the prodigal chicken, Katie, AL, and Avonne (again) for reviewing 'Thrice is the Charm'.  You guys rock!

Alas, I still own nothing that you recognize.  The Rove children _are_ mine, though.  You can pet them if you want, I suppose.  I swear, they've had all of their shots.

So now, I give you the final installment…chapter…thing…of 'Thrice is the Charm'!

~Cop~

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**Thrice is the Charm**

_Chapter Three:  Rocky's Return_

*Liz's POV*

It was on a Tuesday around noon when a ten-year-old Liz first met her little brother.  She and Delainia had been nervous first coming into the cramped hospital room, but that had all passed when they first set eyes on little Rocky Rove.  He reminded Liz of her porcelain dolls, so small and fragile.

But that had been five years ago.  Liz was fifteen now, and amidst a world of hectic high school life and a sister who had perfected the art of annoying her, Rocky was her link to sanity.  Sure, Delaini Jane could be great if she actually wanted to, but she seemed to find some grand enjoyment in making her older sister suffer.  Rocky, on the other hand, was the sweetest, most innocent person that Liz knew.  She could come home and tell him about her troubles, anything from problems with her friends to how Price had been against her since before they had ever been forced to meet.  Rocky would listen patiently, and then try to comfort her.  She loved the way he always tried to help her.

Liz was always more than willing to help Rocky out, as well.  Of course, his problems usually involved things like not being able to decide which picture book he should 'read', or which color crayon he should use, but he looked up to his sister for her aide all the same.  

The problems usually arose when Rocky tried to help Liz with things too complicated, such as her Geometry homework.  He would get frustrated, then upset, and eventually would convince himself that Liz hated him, just because he couldn't figure out why quadrilateral JUMP was a rhombus.  Then Liz would have to explain to him that he didn't have to help her with things like that, and that he shouldn't even worry about silly things like math until he had to.

Liz was sitting on her bed, listening to an old Gin Blossoms CD, and attempting to write her research paper when Rocky entered her room.  She didn't have to even look to figure out who had come in, since her father always knocked, her mother immediately asked how much homework she had left, and Delaini Jane came in yelling.  Rocky would just stand there, completely silent, until Liz acknowledged his presence.

"What's up, Rocky?"  Liz asked, glancing over at him.

Rocky didn't answer, just crossed the room and scrambled up on to Liz's bed.  He crawled up next to her and stared at her paper for a moment before answering.

"Is that your homework?" he finally asked her.

"Yup."

"Is it hard?"

"Not really, just pointless."

"Oh," Rocky said.  He paused before continuing.  "What's it for?"

"English," Liz told him.  "It's a research paper."

Rocky picked up one of her numerous note cards and stared at it, upside down.  "What's this for?"

Liz smiled at him and took the card.  "I put all the information from the books and websites, and write it on these.  Then I use the cards to write my paper."

Once again, Rocky didn't speak up right away.  "Is it fun?"

"Not really."

"Can I help you do it?"  Rocky asked her, looking up into her face hopefully.  Liz bit her lip.  She hated to turn Rocky down, but there wasn't a lot he could do to help her write a paper.  Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Well, you can't help me very much with this," she explained.  Rocky's face fell, and Liz hurried to finish.  "But you can help me with another project."  Rocky looked up at her, beaming.

"Really?  What is it?" 

Liz pulled out a notebook from her backpack.  She had been putting off a feature story for her 'Into to Journalism' class for two and a half weeks, since she never had a good topic.  Now seemed like the perfect time to do it.

"I have to write a news story for my journalism class," she told him, "and I need to find someone to write it about.  How about I ask you some questions and the whole story can be about you."

Rocky nodded, to excited to speak.  With a notebook in her hand, Liz asked her brother any question she could think of, from his favorite food to what kind of fish he wished he could be for a day.  Rocky enjoyed the entire process and a very content little brother left Liz's room, heading off to tell their parents about his wonderful interview.

When Liz got her graded paper back, she was pleased to find an A+ on the top, along with a note from her teacher, stating how enjoyable it was to read about Liz's delightful little brother.  Yes, Liz mused, smiling to herself, Rocky was a very delightful brother indeed.

*          *          *

*Rocky's POV*

Rocky had always liked snow.  Yeah, it was cold, but that was a small price to pay for something that came as seldom as it did.  His mom would wrap him up in a seemingly endless layer of clothes, and then let him loose in the backyard with his sisters.  Of course, a few of the three pairs of gloves forced on his hands would slip off, his hat would be lost under a snow drift, and wet snow would still make its ways through four pairs of socks, but the intent was good.

He, Liz, and Delaini Jane would always been a snowman.  Liz was always in charge of the little details, since she liked art, just like their dad.  Delaini went off in search of branches for arms, and Rocky got the honor of naming their creation when it was finished.  This year he had decided to name him 'Clifford', like the dog in the books that Liz read to him.  Delaini Jane usually complained that Rocky never gave the snowman a girl name, but it was called a snow_man for a reason.  Besides, Rocky didn't like girls.  Well, except for Liz, Delaini Jane, and his mom.  Oh, and Aunt Rebecca and Aunt Grace, and cousin Sora.  And Grandma Helen, too, now that he thought about it._

Okay, so Rocky didn't like girls his age.  But that was okay, since all the girls in his kindergarten class were too…girly.  They did silly things, like playing dress up.  His sisters never did anything like that.  Wait, once Delaini Jane had tried to make him wear a tutu, but it was only one time.  Maybe the girls in his family were just special.

Whenever Rocky thought about the girls in his family, he though about Grandma Elizabeth, who Liz was named after.  He had never met her, since she had died when Dad had been younger than Liz, but he had heard stories about her.  She seemed like she had been a nice lady.

Rocky knew that he himself was named after someone who was dead.  Mom had told him about the little boy named Rocky that she had babysat.  It always made Rocky sad to think about that, since that Rocky never got to grow up, like Grandma Elizabeth had.

Mostly, though, Rocky tried to not think about things like that.  Instead, he focused on the falling snowflakes.  He had laid down to make a snow angel, but he couldn't figure out how to get back up without messing it up, so he just stayed where he was instead.  White powder was sprinkling over his body, and the little boy smiled, content.

Rocky didn't think about serious things often, since he was lucky enough to not have to.  All he had to think about was the snow, the season, and the cup of hot cocoa that would be waiting for him inside.

*~End~*

9:25 pm, Tuesday, February 03, 2004


End file.
